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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Dan Buettner
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January 29 - February 2, 2022
“Quests,” in which a team of Internet-linked scientists investigated some of Earth’s great puzzles.
Blue Zones themselves: the Barbagia region of Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, the community of Loma Linda in California, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, and the Greek island of Ikaria.
The average American, however, by living a fast and furious lifestyle, pushes that accelerator too hard and too much.
he circled the area on a map with blue ink—giving rise to the term “Blue Zone,” which was later adopted by demographers.
FLAVONOIDS Sardinian red wine isn’t the only place to find flavonoids. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables and dark chocolate also contain them.
Goat’s milk and mastic oil may be Sardinia’s other two longevity elixirs.
Sardinian goat milk may help protect people from the typical diseases of aging such as atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
Mastic oil (with its antibacterial and anti-mutagenic
All the centenarians I met told me la famiglia was the most important thing in their lives—their purpose in life.
goat’s milk delivers a powerful nutritional punch: One glass contains 13 percent more calcium, 25 percent more vitamin B6, 47 percent more vitamin A, 134 percent more potassium, and 3 times more niacin.
Eat a lean, plant-based diet accented with meat. The classic Sardinian diet consists of whole-grain bread, beans, garden vegetables, fruits,
Put family first. Sardinia’s strong family values help assure that every member of the family is cared for.
Drink goat’s milk. A glass of goat’s milk contains components that might help protect against inflammatory diseases of aging such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Celebrate elders. Grandparents can provide love, childcare, financial help, wisdom,
Take a walk. Walking five miles a day or more as Sardinian shepherds do provides all the cardiovascular benefits you might expect, and also has a positive effect on muscle and bone metabolism without the joint-pounding of running marathons or triathlons. Drink a glass or two of red wine daily.
Laugh with friends. Men in this Blue Zone are famous for their sardonic sense of humor.
“It’s vitamin S,” he said. “You smile in the morning and it fortifies you all day long.”
Embrace an ikigai.
Rely on a plant-based diet.
Goya, with its antioxidants and compounds that lower blood sugar, is of particular interest.
Get gardening.
Eat more soy. The Okinawan diet is rich foods made with soy, like tofu and miso soup.
Fermented soy foods contribute to a healthy intestinal ecology
Maintain a moai. The Okinawan tradition of forming a moai provides secure social networks.
Enjoy the sunshine. Vitamin D, produced by the body when it’s exposed on a regular basis to sunlight, promotes stronger bones and healthier bodies.
Stay active. Older Okinawans are active walkers and gardeners.
Plant a medicinal garden. Mugwort, ginger, and turmeric are all staples of an Okinawan garden, and all have proven medicinal qualities.
Have an attitude.
let their difficult early years remain in the past while they enjoy today’s simple pleasures.
most of the fat in nuts is unsaturated fat.
Adventists who consumed nuts at least five times a week had about half the risk of heart disease of those who didn’t.
The American Heart Association has a positive recommendation about nuts.
what is it about nuts?” Fraser said. “I’m not sure we have all the answers, but one thing certainly is that they have an effect on lower blood cholesterol.”
consuming fruits and vegetables and whole grains seems to be protective for a wide variety of cancers.”
women who consumed tomatoes at least three or four times a week reduced their chances of getting ovarian cancer by 70 percent over those who ate tomatoes less often.
the ones who ate two or more servings of fruit per day had about 70 percent fewer lung cancers than those nonsmokers who ate fruit only once or twice a week.”
men who drank five or six glasses of water a day had a substantial reduction in the risk of a fatal heart attack—60, 70 percent less—compared to those who drank considerably less water.
As a result of what I’ve seen, I make sure I drink five or six glasses of water a day.”
“Second, we found that nut eaters also had a two-year advantage,
“Fourth is physical activity,”
Most of us have the best intentions of getting more exercise or eating more nutritiously.
healthiness is next to Godliness.
We truly believe that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that God communicates to us through our bodies. So the things you do to impair your thinking and impair your health are cutting you off from God’s revelation.”
it takes an average of 8 cups of water (along with a healthy diet) to replace what your body uses normally every day.
Moderate exercise increases the amount by 1 to 2 cups. Strenuous exercise (lasting an hour or more) ups the average intake by 2 to 3 cups per hour exercised.
A stranger is a friend we haven’t met yet.
Adventists observe the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday.
Marge Jetton had told me about why she volunteered so much: “Because it makes me feel good,” she’d said. “Don’t you like to help people up when they need a hand?”
‘sanctuary in time.’
A combination of four types of exercise will keep the body balanced and strong. Endurance: Activities like walking, hiking, swimming, and cycling improve the health of the cardiovascular system.
